When a chair burns her arms, Lena chalks it up to stress-induced crazy. Yet as bizarre incidents escalate, even being crazy can't explain it all away… until one day dream guy does find her.
Tarek lost Lena seventeen years ago after she was accused of treason and marked Tainted. He finally discovers her reborn on Earth into a life of suffering as punishment for her crime.
I wasn't running away. Swear to God. I thought about it, though. Thought about it every morning when I followed the path through the woods to the school and back. After last night, escaping sounded perfect. Not possible, but pretty damn great to think about.
The daily ritual gave me an hour with the frost biting my nose and dead leaves crunching under my old sneakers. Running was kind of mandatory, seeing as how track started next week, but I loved it.
Out here, there was no dumb shit dad, no helpless mom. No worry an anxiety attack would interfere with my ability to ignore school's rigid caste system, of which I stayed planted in the bottom rung-the untouchables. Trees didn't care where I lived. Squirrels didn't judge my clothes. But as usual, the view of the trailer park ended my life-pardon.
I stopped at the wood's edge for a minute, slowing my breath. One month and I was out of here. Not even the crazy shit from last night could dampen that excitement.
One foot met muddy asphalt as a breeze pushed through the sweaty hair stuck on my forehead and rustled the barren tree limbs. The air felt warm on my face, defrosting my runny nose-a deep contrast to the crisp, spring morning breeze.
Odd, but hey, warm air? I'd take it.
Then I heard it again, the same voice from last night.
Lena. My name carried through another bout of warm air, soft but clear.
"Hello?"
It's time.
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